Saturday, December 8th, 2018

About Guardian Toy Run and Toy Drive

More than 32,000 children in Florida are abused, abandoned, and neglected and even with approximately 7,000 volunteers more than 5,000 of those children do not have a Guardian ad Litem.

A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is appointed by the court as an advocate for the child. Most of these children have been removed from their homes because of alleged abuse, abandonment or neglect. The GAL becomes familiar with the child and the child’s case and makes recommendations to the court to help ensure a safe, caring, stable, and permanent environment.

The Guardian Toy Run is being established to help Guardians provide toys for the children they advocate for. Some of these children are in group homes, foster homes or transitional homes. Many times, they do not receive much for Christmas.

The toys that are collected from this drive will be from a person involved in their life and for some of them, the only toy they receive. The Guardian ad Litem Toy Coset does not receive enough donations to supply a toy to each child.. This drive will help meet this need and fill the Toy Closet.

This cause is especially important to me, as my father, Jay Curtis Taylor, is a GAL and has been supporting children in our community for over 13 years.. I look forward to the first annual Guardian Toy Run and hope that it will serve as launchpad for filling the GAL Toy Closet for years to come. I know this event will help bring smiles to faces of children in very difficult situations. The toys collected during this event will be distributed throughout Hillsborough County. All proceeds collected will also go towards purchasing additional gifts for donation to the GAL Toy Closet after minimal expenses.